By Otsile Kadiege

Late last year Kia unveiled the all-new Niro at the 2021 Seoul Mobility Show, however not much details were revealed until now. The new, bold-looking Niro facilitates another step toward a more sustainable future thanks to various green technologies and sustainable materials.

Exterior

The all-new Niro has been developed under the company’s Opposites United design philosophy, fulfilling its ‘Joy for Reason’ ethos. Up front, the new Niro gets Kia’s signature ‘tiger face’ which has been transformed for the all-new Niro and now extends from the bonnet, right through to the rugged fender below. The grille is flanked by striking ‘heartbeat’ LED DRL (daytime running lights).

Its rear-end boasts a modern and dynamic design that’s accentuated by the new Niro’s unique boomerang-shaped tail lights. The second generation Niro’s dimensions have grown over its predecessor, with a length measuring 4,420mm, a width of 1,825mm, a height of 1,545mm, and a wheelbase of 2,720mm, up by 65mm, 20mm, 10mm and 20mm respectively.

The Niro offers a choice of nine exterior colours. Alongside new Cityscape Green, customers can choose between Snow White Pearl, Aurora Black Pearl, Mineral Blue, Interstella Grey, Orange Delight, Runway Red and Steel Grey. For the first time, the Niro provides added scope for personalisation with a choice of six contrasting colours for the C-pillars, and up to three different finishes for the cladding.

Interior

Inside, the new Niro showcases new recycled materials. The headlining is made from recycled wallpaper, the slim and contemporary seats are made from Bio PU with Tencel from eucalyptus leaves, and BTX-free paint is used on the door panels. Other interior highlights are the curved dashboard, a stylish high-tech 10.25-inch panoramic high-definition digital display screen with Advanced Voice Car Control system featuring Natural Voice Recognition technology that integrates both the instrument cluster centre console, electronic dial-type shift lever, 10-inch head-up display (HUD) and 74 colour combinations mood lighting. The HEV Niro has a trunk load capacity of 451 litres, up by 15 litres over its predecessor.

Powertrains

The all-new Niro will be available with HEV, PHEV and EV powertrains. It will come equipped with a ‘Greenzone Drive Mode’ which automatically transfers the (P)HEV into EV drive mode to meet the demand for sustainable mobility solutions. The HEV features a 1.6-litre GDI petrol engine paired to Kia’s second-generation 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (6DCT). The four cylinder unit produces a maximum output of 77kW along with 144Nm. When combined with the 32kW electric motor, the HEV model produces a combined maximum power output of 104kW.

Safety and driver assistance systems

The new Niro comes equipped with Kia’s DriveWise intelligent Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The ADAS suite includes Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), Safe Exit Assist (SEA), Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW), High Beam Assist (HBA), Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control (NSCC), Lane Following Assist (LFA), Highway Driving Assist (HDA), Rear View Monitor (RVM), Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA), Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist (PCA-R) and Front/Rear Parking Distance Warning (PDW-F/R).

The new Kia Niro is due for global market later this year. Local availability should be confirmed closer to market launch.